


At the Beach

by Lost_Elf



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Awkward Dates, Beaches, Fluff, Good Parent Handsome Jack (Borderlands), Janitor Rhys (Borderlands), Kid Angel (Borderlands), M/M, Sandcastle Building, Vacation, Workaholic Handsome Jack (Borderlands)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:21:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26878885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lost_Elf/pseuds/Lost_Elf
Summary: Handsome Jack and his secret daughter Angel go for a vacation. They meet Rhys. Angel likes him. Jack even more. (I'm bad at summaries, ok? It's F L U F F.)
Relationships: Angel & Rhys (Borderlands), Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 96





	At the Beach

**Author's Note:**

> This lied in my WIPs for way too long. We all needed kid!Angel and Rhys building a sandcastle, right?

While Hyperion employees are encouraged to give up their free days, and work on holidays too, the president himself takes days off quite often, and he travels on every occasion. Four weeks in summer, split into two periods on two different exotic planets, then two in winter, a few long weekends throughout the year. All the while ruling Hyperion from across the galaxy or leaving most of it to his secretary.

Nobody knows about this – besides the secretary, obviously, and a few close friends – and nobody, not even them, knows that Jack doesn’t travel alone. Well, Timothy does, of course, with him being Jack’s close friend and joining them often. But otherwise, Angel is the best kept secret in the galaxy.

A very loud secret that squeals and laughs when the cold water of the ocean touches her ankles. Jack smiles, unable to keep his posture of a though guy whenever his daughter is concerned. She is his everything. One day, he will conquer the whole universe, just for her.

There are only a few people on the beach. One elderly lady smiles at Angel, probably thinking about her own kids or grandkids. Jack doesn’t feel like any of the people here could be any danger to him and his daughter, so he doesn’t bother even frowning at the lady, instead setting up blankets and umbrellas.

The trick to staying safe in a holiday resort anyone (rich) can visit is simple. People see Handsome Jack and a little girl in the same resort they chose this year. They know Handsome Jack could do better than some beach. They know Handsome Jack is a workaholic. They know Handsome Jack doesn’t have a child. And they know Handsome Jack has body doubles. They come to the obvious conclusion that there is no way Handsome Jack and some little girl are in the same holiday resort as them.

“Daddy, there are seashells!” Angel squeals happily. “Let’s go collect some!”

“Okay, little Angel,” he laughs and follows her closer to the water line. Angel is already only wearing a swimsuit, specifically tailored for her by a person on the other side of the galaxy who only received the measurements and request to cover the left arm and leg whole, claiming the little girl has scars she doesn’t like to show. Jack is still wearing khaki pants and a white shirt, but he doesn’t mind both being soaked with water and ruined by sand.

Jack’s hands are too big to pick up small, delicate shells, but they work great as a storage space, so his job is mostly to stand close by and carry around his daughter’s loot. He doesn’t mind. The girl tires herself off quickly anyway, and he ushers her to the blanket to make her eat something before she inevitably falls asleep.

While his daughter is taking a power nap, Jack finishes setting up their little shadowed spot, taking out Angel’s toys, and blowing up a balloon, a floating unicorn and some other floaties. By the time he is done (he wonders distantly how he managed to bring so many things to the beach without pulling several muscles, but anything for his little Angel, right?), he is being tugged towards the sea.

To Jack’s surprise and distaste, he is tired much sooner than his daughter. The waves aren’t that strong but keeping a 7-year-old safe from even the smallest waves is tiring. Especially to an overworked CEO. It is not like he is getting old or something. He just cannot keep watch over Angel on an inflatable unicorn, swim around, and keep an eye on the shore at the same time for too long. No time for swimming practice while ruling the most awesome company in the world.

To avoid pouting, because Jack knows that he will break and willingly drown for his daughter if she starts pouting, he suggests they have some watermelon pieces for a snack. He already cut it into little squares at the hotel, waking up at 5 AM to get everything ready for the day at beach.

As things tend to do, this plan backfires, and Angel gains even more energy. Jack, feeling absolutely drained, suggests she goes to play in the sand for a bit, giving her some plastic toys. It is a small set, but it is superior to all the other toys on the beach, and he is proud to send his daughter off with that.

The father only gets to lie down for five minutes, though. He tries to read a book in that time, but his eyes keep falling out of focus (and maybe staying up late, reading reports till 2 AM, and then waking up early is not for him anymore). Then, Angel runs up to him, tugging at his sleeve.

“Daddy! There is a boy building a sandcastle!” she tells him. Her voice is serious, and it makes Jack frown a little, because a kid being suddenly serious can be a sign of a catastrophe incoming. When it comes to Angel, the catastrophe will probably just be sand in his hair or something similar, but still.

“Good for him,” he says carefully, trying to read his daughter’s face. He sees no mischief. _Yet_.

“He only has one arm,” she says then, obviously pleased that she has his full attention.

_Oh_ , thinks Jack. Angel is smart and well-behaved, but it is possible that they will have to have a talk about disabilities again. He braces himself, hoping the boy isn’t within earshot, because if Angel wants to play with some kid, then Jack won’t ruin it by accidentally being insensitive about their disability.

But Angel beats him to speaking. “Can I help him and share my toys? Please!”

Jack blinks, smirking a little, feeling proud of himself for handling the situation well and handling raising well. “Yes, you can, if he wants your help. You need to ask first, though.”

“I will!” she promises, running off. Jack would like to say he sat up and looked at the boy in question, but he was too tired. As soon as he heard an ecstatic: _‘Daddy, he said yes!’_ he fell asleep, only giving a half-hearted thumbs-up in answer.

It was much later when Jack woke up. He knew that because the sun shifted and got near his feet, making the fabric of the blanket nearby hot, which would mean at least three hours, maybe even five, given that the spot he chose for their blankets, under some trees, had a lot of shadow when they arrived. He also felt well-rested as he sat up abruptly.

Angel wasn’t by his side; he didn’t know where she was. Jack, however, didn’t even have the time to panic properly. One choked sound of fear left his lips, and then there are little arms wrapped around his neck.

“I’m here, daddy!” Angel says quietly. “Don’t be scared. I’m here.”

“I’m never scared, sweetheart,” he says with feign ignorance. “Your daddy is tough.” He knows he is not being the best role model, not facing his fears, not even admitting them, and he knows that Angel sees right through him. But he can’t show his fears. It is like giving them power.

“What did you do when I was asleep?” he asks instead, pulling away a little to make sure she is alright. It looks that her hat was on the whole time and there is another layer of sunscreen on her pale skin. It… smells different than their sunscreen. Maybe the parents of the boy shared?

“You didn’t find something in the ocean that you can set on fire, right?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at her teasingly.

The girl giggles and shakes her head. “I don’t do that! I don’t set things on fire!”

“You make them explode, and that usually involves fire,” he argues, only half joking. Raising a Siren is a whole new challenge.

“I was playing in the sand the whole time!” Angel defends herself, pouting for a while before her face brightens up. “We built the best sandcastle in the galaxy! You need to see it!”

Well, he probably doesn’t have a choice anyway. He needs to repay the boy’s parents for looking after his daughter. While he reaches for his wallet, he realises that no, he doesn’t have to actually pay them. He is being a normal human here, so he should probably just apologize for inconvenience and thank them for the sunscreen. Money saved!

“Okay,” he nods, getting up. The sand burns his feet, as he is no longer accustomed to it, and it wakes him up some more. Angel tugs him forward impatiently, urging him towards an admittedly huge sandcastle.

“Dad, this is Rhys, and this is the Helios Castle!” she says proudly. Her attention is at the castle mostly, but Jack’s eyes are fixed on the boy— no, the **_man_** sitting next to the castle, sheepishly looking up at him.

“Angel,” he says calmly, “this… is not a boy. This is a grown _man_.” As he points that out, the man gulps, eyes drifting to the side, probably looking for an escape route. He won’t find any. If Jack learns that this is some creep, there won’t be a place in the six galaxies to hide him from the furious father.

“Uhm, hello, Angel’s dad,” the man speaks up, his voice so deep that there is no way Angel didn’t notice that it is not some teenager.

“A young man is a boy,” she points out by his side, but there is guilt in her voice. Jack knows she is pouting, so he doesn’t look down, still looking at this _Rhys_ , daring him silently to try and run.

Having enough common sense, Rhys doesn’t do that. He slowly stands up, keeping his one arm up in a defensive gesture. “I’m really sorry, but Angel said you are alright with her being here, and she insisted we shouldn’t wake you up. I gave her my sunscreen, and we had snacks, drank a lot of water. I sometimes babysit as a side-job!” his explaining turns a little frantic. “I can assure you your daughter was safe with me, _is_ safe with me. I have a lot of positive feedback and can provide my resume! Uhm, if you want…”

Rhys’ rambling actually amuses Jack. He lets himself relax, deeming the man a dork, probably a giant nerd, and not a threat. He will still have a talk with the both of them later, though, on the topic of not waking him up.

“Okay, don’t get your panties in a twist, kiddo,” he says, watching the younger man turn pink. He is wearing a straw hat and the shade it throws on his face makes his blush look even darker. “I see you know your way around kids and sandcastles. This one is pretty neat.”

It is not a compliment to Rhys, of course. Jack only cares about his daughter, that turns excited once more, tugging at his arm to show him around. The castle is a good few feet big, though not very tall. The truly impressive part are the details.

“How does that bridge even stand?” Jack muses out loud, and Angel almost jumps up in joy.

“I built that!” she yells, telling the whole beach. They can hear a chuckle somewhere in the direction of that elderly lady they met before. “Look at the pillar – it is the perfect shape to hold it but also looks too small to people.” She goes on explaining, not even noticing when she loses her father’s attention because Rhys speaks up.

“She is very smart for her age,” Rhys says quietly, standing far enough from Jack that anyone could tell that he is afraid of him. “I had hard time keeping up with her.”

“Everybody does,” Jack say, something too vague not to give them out.

“Rhys is smart too!” Angel says suddenly, probably listening on them. “He is much smarter than the Physics teacher you brought last time.”

Chuckling, Jack shakes his head. “If he is smarter than our best physicist, then we should either fire all the physicists, or pick apart Rhys’ brain, because he is a freaking genius.”

Rhys doesn’t look too happy to hear that, causing Jack to laugh. “Ooh, come on, you didn’t think I was serious, did you?” he asks while still laughing. And because Rhys continues to look terrified, he rolls his eyes. “Oh, okay, are you gonna ask or not? I can see the question written on your forehead.”

“Are you—” Rhys’ voice breaks, and he clears his throat. “Are you Handsome Jack? Sir?”

“Of course not, dummy,” Jack snorts. “There, feeling better?”

Rhys nods, actually looking relieved. “Oh, yeah, okay, I, uhm, of course, I, uh. Yeah.” He shakes his head, probably collecting his thoughts, because the next time he speaks, he sounds more like a normal person and not a fanboy. “My name is Rhys Strongfork, by the way. I work for Hyperion, on Helios.”

“Name’s Jack,” the older man replies, smirking at Angel’s giggle. She likes when he messes with people like that. “So, what do you do at Hyperion? R&D, I hope. If Angel says you are smart, then you probably are.”

Rhys blushes and bites his lips, looking down. “Well, uhm, I’m a janitor.”

Jack knows he shouldn’t laugh, being a bad example for his daughter, but he bursts out laughing, and it is her who has to stop him.

“Dad, stop it! You are being mean!” she stomps in the sand. She is, of course, right.

“Yeah, I just—” he cuts off on another burst of laughter, but then he looks up to see Rhys looking at the tips of his feet, seeming highly uncomfortable. “Okay, that was mean, I admit,” he says, stifling the rest of his amusement. “How about this – Rhys, do you want to have dinner with us tonight? To make up for my bad manners and as a thanks for looking after Angel?”

He sees refusal in the younger man’s eyes before he even gets to shake his head, but Angel’s excitement drowns it out. “Yes, yes, yes!” she chants. “Please, Rhys, will you go?”

Nobody can resist Angel when she pushes her lip out and looks up at them with puppy eyes. Not even Rhys Strongfork, janitor at Helios. “Okay,” he says, smiling nervously.

They exchange contacts and details, Jack takes photos of the castle for Angel, and then they head to the hotel to shower and change. The girl seems excited about her new friend, and Jack has no idea how he will explain that they can’t keep seeing Rhys when they return to Helios. Knowing himself, he will have Legal cook up a contract for babysitting an imaginary person and have Rhys come over once a week, just to make her happy.

Angel insists on wearing the best dress they packed for this vacation, long blue summer dress with a nice white cardigan to hide her arms. She is awfully overdressed for the beach grill bar where they are headed to, but nobody will comment on a little girl. And Jack is guilty too, wearing nice shirt and slacks.

Rhys is already waiting there, even though Angel dragged Jack to the venue – stomping and fuming, insisting that they are late – five minutes before the time they agreed on. The young man is also overdressed, in terrible pinstriped pants and a teal shirt. If he were also wearing a tie, Jack would probably laugh again, but like this, Rhys is maybe the most fitting one into the bar, with two buttons of his shirt undone. His shirt only has one sleeve, the other one revealing his cybernetic arm.

They make their orders, Angel picking something she won’t like and won’t be able to eat, so Jack chooses something he thinks she might like when she finally admits that she is not eating it. Rhys picks the cheapest meal on the list, and Jack makes a dumb joke about Hyperion not paying their janitors well for all the _fun stuff_ they have to deal with.

The mood shifts a little when Jack, motivated by his daughter’s pouty glares, asks Rhys how did he end up being a janitor, and how could he afford such a holiday resort, then. Turns out, Rhys was recently demoted by a greedy colleague and the holiday was paid in advance when he still could afford it, and it was non-refundable. The topic on itself wasn’t very positive, but at least they started talking.

Jack finds lying boring, so he only answers a few of Rhys’ question about being a Handsome Jack body double and then claims that he shouldn’t talk about it. Instead, they talk about Rhys’ work, and Jack learns that the guy really is as smart as Angel claimed, but he is a terrible dumbass and too soft to really push forward in Hyperion.

As their food arrives, both men continue to talk about Rhys’ final project in college, which also got him his work at Hyperion, while Angel tries to eat the sea food she ordered. She only manages to force down a few bites before her pride breaks and she asks if she can have something else. Her father gives her his meal, and because she likes it, she happily digs into it. The two other plates remain mostly untouched as Jack’s inner geek bonds with Rhys’ over the usage of AIs as spies.

Angel listens to their conversation for a while, but then she starts falling asleep, exhausted by all the things she did during the day. Jack and Rhys hastily eat at least a part out of their, now cold, meals and head out. Jack pays for all of them, to Rhys’ badly concealed relief, and then he scoops the sleeping child up into his arms, and they head out.

Rhys and Jack separate on the way to their hotels, but the CEO’s mind goes back to their dinner multiple times during the night. Although he doesn’t want to admit it, he had fun. The janitor was funny, and when he made sure that Jack is not the real Jack, he stopped being shy and frightened and actually showed some sass. Jack didn’t know that being talked back to could feel good, but he liked it.

The CEO was more than happy when he met the janitor again the next day. They all, per Angel’s request, built an even bigger sandcastle than the last one, and then ate ice-cream for lunch. Jack was almost sure that it was Rhys’ idea and not Angel’s, but he allowed it.

A vacation that started out with more stress than a busy day on Helios turned into an actual relaxing holiday with his daughter and some random dumbass who blushed when Jack called him Cupcake and grinned when Jack laughed. For the first time in months, Jack was absolutely relaxed, even taking a few hours for himself when Rhys took Angel to an amusement park.

Too soon, Rhys’ vacation time was over. He had to return to work, and Angel’s pouting didn’t change that. Jack and Angel accompanied him to the shuttle bay, saying their goodbyes. The girl hugged the cyborg with tears in her eyes, demanding that he swore to meet her again, preferably on this very beach.

Seeing his daughter upset over losing a friend, especially when Rhys was the first person in years who she talked to with ease, finally broke Jack, and he scribbled something hastily on a piece of paper. He put that paper in the breast pocket of Rhys’ (terrible, horrible, awful) teal shirt and winked at him when Rhys raised his eyebrows in question.

“I’ve got an office on Helios,” Jack disclosed. “You can come and… clean my desk sometime after we return home. If you want. You could also join us for our Pancake Sundays.” He smirked, knowing that Angel will—

“Yes, yes, _please_ , Rhys, please, you need to do that!” the girl squealed.

“Alright, alright, I can’t say no to that,” Rhys agreed, smiling at the child. Then he looked up at Jack, his smile tilting to one side. He saw right through Jack’s dirty tactic, but if anything, he looked amused.

“Great!” the older man clasped his hands. “There is an access code for the office on the paper, as well as the exact location, but I doubt you’ll need that. It is in a pretty spot and hard to miss.” He rolled his eyes when Angel giggled, threatening his cover and the joke.

“Anyway,” he said as he pulled the girl to his side. “It was nice to meet ya. I’m looking forward to seeing you again. And remember,” he gestured to himself and Angel, “top secret!”

Laughing, Rhys nodded, said goodbye and left for his shuttle. Jack could still see his stupid smile long after the shuttle was gone, and he hoped that that will go away when he sees Rhys’ shocked face when he comes to his office. Anyway, he needed a new PA, right?

**Author's Note:**

> My [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ElfWriting).


End file.
